United Airlines Engineers Accuse Union of Salary Injustice

United Airlines Engineers Speak Out on Salary Issues

Engineers at United Airlines have voiced concerns that their union has contributed to the company not providing adequate salary increases. A judge has dismissed most of their legal claims.

The engineers assert that they are missing out on rightful salary benefits that should keep them earning above their counterparts at American and Delta Airlines. They argue that United has turned the salary adjustment formula into a "black box," and the union has not supported them in defending their rights.

Controversial Details in the Salary Formula

The so-called LOA #29 was designed to adjust salaries every two years to ensure that United engineers maintain a salary at 102% of the average pay of engineers at American and Delta. If salaries at those airlines increase, this formula is supposed to raise their pay accordingly.

However, the engineers claim that this formula has never functioned as promised. Instead of a transparent formula, United and the union have used a secret model with concealed information, manipulating the values of non-salary-related factors in the formula.

Allegations of Corruption within the Union

They allege that the salary adjustment notice for 2020 indicated a 7.6% increase but lacked sufficient information for verification. Furthermore, the 2022 salary adjustment was reported as only 2.6%, equivalent to about $1.20 per hour, while the actual adjustment should have been around 15.7%, or nearly $7.35 per hour.

The engineers also question why the union accepted these unfavorable terms. They claim that United paid Teamsters $1.5 million in June 2017, shortly after the agreement was reached, which they consider "illegal financial assistance" under the Railway Labor Act.

The Union's Responsibility

The engineers believe that the union's betrayal of its members could be exposed by United, leading to severe financial consequences. They feel that the union has been compromised and has failed to protect the interests of its employees.

Many of their claims have been dismissed, leaving employees with a narrow path to pursue their grievances independently. The judge found the notion of collusion between United and Teamsters unreasonable, failing to explain why the union would agree to such a plan.

Next Steps for the Engineers

Although they could not provide reasons for the alleged collusion to reject salary increases, they can still seek declaratory measures or request remedies regarding the salary adjustment process. While there is no compensation for this, they may choose to continue their efforts if they wish.

While it seems unreasonable for the union to collaborate with the airline to suppress wages, it is more likely that the union has shown a lack of urgency and transparency. The biggest concern may be internal politics within the organization.